Thursday, November 6, 2008

Belatedly, photos from our trip to a farm...





So apparently the "farm" didn't smell so great to Ella. What a face!!!










What a good-lookin' punkin!














Fin-man crawling among the pumpkins.


Oh, she found "the one"!


And now she carries it like a football.






The goat petting area
was a big hit too!
They also smelled
a bit much too much
for her taste.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Brother and Sisterly Love


















Pulling him closer
and closer...









Kisses for Brother!!!


Time for Ella to relax.


Which means Griffin goes exploring...


Cheese smile for momma!


My smiling guy!

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

A baby no longer...

So yesterday Ella turns to me during her speech therapy and said (in her hard to understand articulation), "Griffin's a baby. I'm not your baby, mama. I'm a big girl!"

I guess that settles it then, I no longer have 2 babies. Rather, I have one baby, and one big girl.

I still tell her that she will always be mommy's baby, and that I will always love her. Ella just looks at me sideways and grins, so I think the message is getting through to my big girl.

Our 2 little pumpkins...


It was funny watching her climb into this spot!



What is this?!!



No really, he wants candy...



Oh my goodness, the pumpkins just keep going, and going!!


Happy baby, see those 2 bottom teeth?



Already she is a good sport for funny photos.

The wheels on the cart go round and round...

Silly girl!


So here are some photos from our trip to the pumpkin patch last week. Yes, there are a few more of Ella than Fin, but he was on my back for most of the trip, so that was the best I could do. It will help even photo counts when he is a more stable and consistent walker.

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Ella's lame attempt at a somersault...

Kids never fail to amaze me
by trying things that they were unsuccessful at
again and again and again...

however silly the attempt, when there is success of any degree,
the celebration is worth all the trials to get there.
So while I slightly mock the attempt, there is a sense of pride that Ella keeps trying!


Doesn't that face look ornery?
Ella constantly takes her hair ties out, which makes her look like a hoodlum!
She is really sweet despite her rough look.

Ella's attempts were going no where.
She has done it before and flipped hard, so I don't know why she was trying it again.
Maybe just showing off for mommy's friends.

Daddy lending a hand.

A much softer landing...

Giggles for all!!!

Climbing the Water tower in Volunteer Park, Seattle

Mike and Ella beginning the climb.

Claire, Jill, Brian B., and Brian C.
(from L to R)
starting the climb to the top of the water tower.

Ella enjoying the view of the city.
We didn't get any good pictures of the view
because the grate on the windows were too narrow.

We walked around the tower, took picture of flowers, and saw a wedding.
It was great to see old friends!

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Port Defiance Zoo and Aquarium


Ella getting her, "ROAR!!!" ready.


Fin looking scared...


So much fun with water fountains.

















Happy Baby!


Oh NO!! Ella is caught in a spiderweb.


Whew! It was only a play structure for kids.


Fin watching his sister playing in the sand.














Pretty as a Peacock!






Vaughn loves babies,
Both his brother, Sebastian,
and Fin.


Look out Ella! That is a shark!





They had a cool area where the kids could touch starfish, sea cucumbers, hermit crabs and a few other creatures.









Sea Anemone

Monday, September 29, 2008

Sunday, September 28, 2008

To-do lists


As always, I am at the end of another weekend and my ever present to-do list seems just as overwhelming and untouched as when Friday arrived. Now that isn't to say that we didn't accomplish anything. We did in fact spend our time fully! Saturday was a slow start day that transitioned into very productive afternoons, Mike's in the lab, ours at home. We all had a lot to catch up on after a week away/being out of commission sick.

Sunday was a huge day of big projects. Mike chainsawed up the last of the trees in our backyard, so now we just have to split the rounds into usable firewood. 8 hours, $38.00 and three trips to Home Depot later and we now have the end of this year long project in sight. I continued working on laundry (the WORST CHORE EVER!!!), weeding in the front yard, and playing with the kids. We made a lot of headway, but like always I have more piles than I started with, and the laundry is still not put away.

I can say, I had a wonderful evening grilling with my family and making my children giggle. It is amazing how that sound can make all tension melt away. Fin and Ella have also reached the point where they play peek-a-boo together and giggle. Fin will then inevitably try to climb the slide to the green shelf where Ella is peeking up from, and since he still isn't stable, he falls off 7 out of 10 times. The small fall in itself leads to more laughs and crawling to find another path to his elusive sister.

At the end of the day, we relaxed and reconnected with a date night movie of Dan In Real Life. This movie just makes you feel good. It is movies like these that remind you why you do the laundry, make the dinners, plan elaborate halloween parties, and hold your husband's hand. Because family is what matters. Not only the family you are born into, but the family that you chose to belong to. I have grown up with many relationships that would be hard to explain except for the "family by affection" designation. I love the impossible-to explain relationships I have with those in my life like Sally, Tollie or hundreds of others. How much richer my, Mike's, and our children's lives are for having characters such as yourself shape us. Honestly, what are Mike and I but family by affection made official with a promise?

So, I guess I will cross a fews things from my perpetual to-do list for today...

  • Remembering to live in the moment
  • Appreciating what the day brings
  • Being thankful for all life's gifts
  • Showing my husband love in words, thoughts and actions
  • Raising 2 terrific kids as best we can
As for the laundry, eh, it will get done. Maybe next weekend...

Friday, September 26, 2008

Fear of spiders


Another wonderful (and quirky) side effect of living in Seattle is that I have gotten over my fear of spiders. I no longer shriek when I move a pillow and see 2 spiders canoodling where I lay my head. I no longer hesitate to jump into a shower that has a few "friends" dashing for higher and drier ground. We now have the perfect Halloween decorators in charge of our front door, and so far they are doing wonders at keeping away the Latter-day missionaries (that have a knack for knowing when naptime starts), and Kirby vacuum cleaner salesmen. Now if only I could find a way to use their undesirability with telemarketers, maybe I could get a nap in the afternoon!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Happy Punctuation Day!

Don't think that dot or comma mean much?

Consider this...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060806.wr-rogers07/BNStory/Business/home

Could be worth 2.1 million dollars!

Monday, September 22, 2008

Preschool Club Story

The Cast of Characters...



Ella Bella

Fin-Man

Kaibre

Thaddeus

Bryce

Pirate Vaughn

Sebastian



The Plot...

Ring around the rosie

all falling down.

A successful ring toss

Some cuddling...

Princess balance training

quick delivery of cottonballs

treeswinging

mmmm, can you say mudpie?
how about leaf cake?

and some quality time in the sandbox.


Hope you enjoyed our latest adventure!
Happy Reading!

Later this week, our trip to the zoo and aquarium.


**Update for those mommies asking, yes, we have Foot and mouth disease.
We will be MIA until the fevers break and we get the doctors all clear.**